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Orthogonal Unit Design
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SKU	GDC-03-055
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Orthogonal Unit Design,
501

Game Design, Lecture

Harvey Smith
Studio Creative Director, Midway
Developers and players refer to game units by a number of names: Enemies, NPC's, monsters, AI's, creatures and characters. What are they? Hurdles that must be overcome in order to reach the exit to the level? Simulated opponents that try to out-think the player? Artificial squad mates? Cool renders with interesting attack, fidget and death animations? Collections of RPG stats? All of the above, but in an industry where game environments are mostly static, game units are dynamic elements with the potential to represent more. Across all game genres, it's possible to design game units that are distinct in the role they play, and by doing so create gameplay with greater accessibility and more depth.

If each game unit has a particular function (and if this function is obvious or can be observed over time) then the player can make informed decisions about how to deal with each enemy tactically, which in and of itself becomes a gameplay dynamic. The alternative, in which all enemies do basic variations of the same thing, race forward and inflict damage, is less interesting, less strategic. Designing game units with distinct functions that work compatibly with the other elements in a game is a powerful means of creating compelling content without expensive new core tech systems or additional artwork. For instance, a first-person shooter with two monsters that simply charge forward firing bullets has fewer tactical gameplay ramifications than the same type of game with one monster who charges forward firing bullets and one who heals injured allies. Yet both represent roughly the same cost in terms of art and technology development time.

This presentation aids designers in creating game units that are more interesting because they serve a purpose within the game's larger scheme, convey their function to the player, and interact in interesting (often emergent) ways with other game elements. This presentation covers several design techniques that are independent of game genre. It deconstructs various categories of game units utilizing examples from classic and modern games.

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